Amir Khan says Floyd Mayweather must face him if he beats Canelo

Amir Khan believes Floyd Mayweather must come out of retirement to face him if he beats Saul 'Canelo' Alvarez this weekend.

Khan, whose public pursuit of a bout with Mayweather last year ended in disappointment, steps up to a catchweight of 155lbs to challenge Canelo for the Mexican's WBC middleweight crown in Las Vegas on Saturday.

Mayweather bid farewell to boxing after beating Andre Berto and extending his perfect record to 49-0 last September but hinted at the weekend he could come out of retirement for one last hurrah.

Khan says Mayweather would have no credible option other than to fight him if he can beat Alvarez and the Bolton fighter insists a meeting with Mayweather would be the simpler task of the two.

"I think the Mayweather fight has to happen if I beat Canelo," Khan told Sky Sports News HQ.

"Styles make fights and I really believe a fight with Mayweather would be easier than a fight against Canelo.

"Canelo has got that physical strength whereas Mayweather would be like a game of chess.

"I've got a massive fight with Canelo in front of me and by winning this fight it would definitely take me on to the biggest fight of my career and a bigger one than the one I'm going to be facing on Saturday."

Khan was widely expected to face Kell Brook next but stunned the boxing world in February when he announced his clash with Canelo, whose only career loss came against Mayweather in 2013.

"This has to be one of the biggest fights of the year because everybody is talking about it," added Khan.

"You've got a puncher versus a boxer. You've got two different styles and you've got the whole world tuning in for this fight.

"Just walking the Strip and talking to people about the fight helps you understand what this fight is all about."